Oil burner installation



i 1941- L. o. SELBY 2,241,325

OIL BURNER INSTALLATION Filed May 23, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \NYENTORZ OSELBEY,

ATTORNEY 24 a. LYNN Patented May 6, 1941 OIL BURNER INSTALLATION Lynn 0. Selby, Cromwell, Conn., assignor to The Sparmal Engineering Corporation, a corporation of Connecticut Application May 23, 1940. Serial No. 336,791 Claims. (Cl. 236-45) My invention relates to oil burner installations.

It has among its objects to provide an improved brooder installation of the oil burner type V and, more particularly, such an installation having improved heating and controlling means. A further object of my invention is to provide such an improved installation including a distillate burner in combination with an improved temperature responsive valve mechanism governing the supply of fuel to such a burner in an improved manner and capable of maintaining the temperature range in the brooder within much narrower limits than has hitherto been possible. Another object of the invention is to provide such an improved brooder installation having a brooder hood enclosing heat generating means and having improved thermo-responsive means for governing the latter, these improved means herein cooperating with an improved valve and improved gravity feed means maintaining a substantially constant pressure head and being so situated relative to the brooder hood that said thermo-responsive means are acted upon by the stream of air circulating under the hood, all in such manner as to make possible a more sensitive control of the heating means and a closer regulation of the temperature under the hood. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved thermostatically controlled oil burner installation including a distillate type-oil burner, i. e. a burner having a so-called carbon leg,

or vaporizer, for supplyingwaporized fuel to the in it is made possible to automatically control' the fuel supply to the burner in response to temperature changes in such an improved manner as to obtain new and markedly improved results. These and other objects of my invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a brooder house taken on line i-I of Figure 2 and showing my improved brooder therein in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the brooder installation of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the thermostatically controlled valve and the adjustable supporting means therefor;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view showing the position of the temperature responsive element .of the valve relative to the brooder and enclo- The illustrative brooder installation embody- I ing my invention includes a brooder house A comprising a single brooder room, access to which is gained through a door 2 located in one side of the house adjacent the front thereof. A brooder B is located on the floor 3 of the house midway between the side walls thereof and slightly to the rear, and preferably to the north, of the center of the room.

This brooder, which is of a more or less usual construction, includes a stove 4 supported on suitable legs 5 in spaced relation above the floor 3. The stove 4, in turn, carries at its upper end and closes the top of a depending annular brooder hood 6 which encloses a substantial part of the heating surface of the stove. This hood is preferably of sheet metal and has the lower annular rim 1 thereof spaced vertically. above the floor 3 in a customary manner to permit the chickens to circulate freely therebeneath. The stove 4 also has a fire door 8, and a hinged peripheral flap 9 is provided in the hood in alignment therewith permitting access to the interior of the stove. A

flue i0 is also provided for said stove which is extended laterally through the hood 6 and thence upwardly through the roof of the house.

The temperature in the house A is controlled in a new and effective manner in accordance with my invention, wherein the temperature is maintained within very close predetermined tempera-'-v ture limits by means including a distillate type oil burner, i. e. a burner having a vaporizer for supplying vaporized fuel to the burner base under the control of an improved valve having an improved temperature-responsive device located in a usual position'relative to the fuel supply reservoir and brooder hood and cooperating with improved gravity feed means maintaining a substantially constant pressure head, to govern the flow of fluid to the burner in an improved manner.

As shown most clearly in Figures 6, 7 and 8, the burner installation includes a fluid receptacle H, or burner base usual in distillate burners, lo-

cated within the stove 4 and supported above the bottom l2 of the combustion chamber thereof by a single vertically adjustable leg i3 comprising overlying slotted members which are clamped together in the desired adjusted position by a clamping bolt i3a. The burner supporting leg l3, carrying the base II at its upper end, is provided with radially extended feet l4 and is fixed to the stove bottom l2 by a clamping bolt i5. Leveling screws 16 are threaded into the feet l4 adjacent the extremities thereof and bear against the upper surface of the stove bottom l2. The burner base H supports the usual perforated shells, shown at I! and forming combustion chambers, and usual starting wicks Ila. disposed in usual burner grooves l'lb between and below the shells ll, usual air passages Ilc also being provided in the base II and surrounded by the grooves ill), for supplying air upward along the shells l1. Oil, or other liquid fuel, issupplied to the base il through a vertically adjustable carbon leg, or fuel vaporizer, l8 secured to the base H and supplied with oil frtm a reservoir C through a pipe line I9; the carbon leg" acting to vaporize the fuel and generate gas in the manner usual in distillate burners of the type shown herein, in which the wicks are used only in starting, and the liquid fuel, after starting, is vaporized in the carbon leg, and thereafter passes in the formof vapor into the hot burner base and between shells II in a usual manner, being distributed radially through usual covered radial passages I'ld. While the distillate burner illustrated is of the construction shown in the Williams Patent No. 1,911,661, it will be understood that this is only illustrative and that various other standard forms of distillate burners, likewise heretofore only manually controllable as to temperature,- may be used, for example, that shown in the Nest et a1. Patent No. 2,008,151.

The oil receptacle C can'be of any type which will supply fuel to the burner under a substantially constant pressure and herein is of the well known type in which the fuel is fed to the burner by gravity and the oil in the receptacle is open to the atmosphere and is maintained at a constant level. As here shown, the receptacle C is supported above the floor of the brooder house on legs 20 which are vertically extensible whereby to adjust the level of the oil in the receptacle relative to the burner base Ii, it being understood that means are provided for replenishing the supply of oil in the container as it is withdrawn by which the level of the oil in the container C is maintained at a constant level. This is accomplished by the use of a well known inverted bottle 2i, the open mouth 22 of which extends below the open top of the oil receptacle C and is immersed in the liquid therein, a suitable seat 23 being provided for the bottle at the top of receptacle C while permitting the receptacle free communication with the atmosphere.

In starting the burner, a body of oil is supplied to the burner base I i to a depth of approximately three-sixteenths of an inch as indicated by the line 24a in Figure 6; the oil level in the fact that thls head of oil is substantially constant, i. e. with the level in the receptacle C,

which forms a supplemental reservoir between the main reservoir or bottle 2| and the burner, maintained substantially constant in such manner as to make it possible to maintain a constant supply to the burner'in any given position of the valve D hereinafter described. Here, of course, it will also be understood that when the burner is operating, the oil therein will be consumed at a rate dependent upon the position of the valve, with increased vaporization of the oil supplied to the carbon leg occurring as the burner approaches full on" operation. Even if improperly operated, the risk of fire is minimized, it being evident that the oil can never rise to a level where it will overflow the burner base, and consequently the danger of flooding the brooder room fioor with burning oil is minimized.-

A thermostatically controlled valve D is herein provided in the pipe line l9 between the oil container C and the burner base II and herein operates to control the amount of oil flowing through the pipe line l3 under the substantially constant pressure head referred to above. This valve is of the type more fully described in my copendlng application. Serial No. 759,196, filed December 26th, 1934, and reference may be had to said application for a more complete disclosure thereof. o

In general, the valve D (Fig. 4) comprises a body portion 25 which is vertically adjustably supported relative to the floor 3 of the brooder house by means of a pedestal 26 fixed to the floor and telescoping rod 21, the latter of which is screw threaded into the valve body 25. Said valve body 25 is provided with a horizontal oil passage 28 therethrough having a central cylindrical passage 29 of reduced ameter. Oil is supplied to the righthand erid oi aid passage 23 as viewed in Figure 4 from the 11 container C through the pipe line I! and leaves the lefthand end of said passage 23 ough a vertical passage 30 and a throttling, so-called metering valve, 3| which is connect to the section of the pipe line l8 leading to the burner base H and determines the maximum amount of oil which can be supplied through the pipe line l3 to the burner. The valve body 25 is also provided with a long, upstanding stem 32 having a vertical annular passage 33 therein which interat which the device is to operate, carries at its upper end a screw threaded stud 35 which is supported by the top 36 of an invertfid u-shaped member, the free ends 31 of whic rigidly secured to a tubular extension 33 of the u stand- ,ing ste-n 32. A connecting rod 39 is adjustably screw threaded into a coupling member 40 carried by the lower wall of the bellows 34 and is connected at its lower end by a universal ball and socket connection 4| to a plunger 42 reciprocable within the passage 33. Thus it will be observed that, while air may escape from the 011 line up along the plunger in such nner as to avoid air locks, the plunger 42 is su ended from the bellows 34 and buoyed up at its lower end by the oil in the passage 33. Said passage 33 is closed at its lower end by a vertically adjustable screw 43 having a conical, pointed, upper end comprising a seat on which the ower end of the plunger 42 is adapted to restrain its lowermost valve is so disposed in the pipe line connecting position in which the horizontal passage 29 is ahnost closed by said plunger, the screw 43 being adjusted so that only suflicient oil can pass by the plunger 42 to maintain a low pilot flame in the burner.

It will thus be evident that in my improved installation fuel will be admitted to the burner through the valve D under the control of the bellows 34 and in accordance with the temperature requirements as determined by the setting of the valve and bellows. Further, even if a sudden reduction in temperature occurs, increased amounts of fuel will be supplied gradually to the burner, due to the inherent gradual response to temperature changes characteristic of such thermostats utilizing a highly volatile expansible fluid, and resulting from the rate of heat conductivity through such a volatile medium. Thus, even in the case of such msudden reduction in temperature, while the response to the temperature change begins promptly, the flow of fuel is so modulated as to avoid both a fuel surge and the feeding of fuel faster than the vaporizing ability of the carbon leg is increased as the temperature of the burner increases. The desired minimum temperature setting of the valve is first obtained roughly by adlusting the nut 44 on the stud to raise and lower the bellows against the pressure of a spring 44a and thus raise and lower the connecting rod 39 and the plunger 42. A further, and finer, adjustment is provided by means of a knurled wheel fixed to the connectingrod 39 and by which the burner base II and the receptacle C that it is enabled to cooperate therewith in an improved manner to enable improved results to be obtained.

Thus, it is made possible in my improved construction for a-constant pressure head to be maintained on the fuel supplied to the burner while the valve is enabled to function wholly independentlyof the level in the receptacle C which, in, my improved construction, is maintained substantially constant in all positions of the valve. Further, it will be noted that the valve also functions only in response to temperature changes and wholly independently of the oil consumption or the level in the burner base ll. Thus, it is made possible not only to eliminate all need for connecting a float to the valve but also to eliminate any connection of the thermostat to a float, and the operation of the float by the thermostat. Instead, in my improved construction the thermostat is required only to operate the valve. Moreover, due to the improved operative connections between the thermostat and the valve and the improved construction of the valve, it will be evident that the mechanism is exceedingly sensitive, with the end of the valve plunger which moves transversely of the passage 29 being very sensitivelyfadjusted automatically the latter'can be rotated to screw the same into and out of the coupling member 40 and thus raise and lower the plunger 42 relative to the bellows. Accordingly, with the parts properly adjusted, the valve will function automatically gradually to vary the fuel supplied to the burner between the maximum and minimum limits of vaporization of the vaporizer at different burner temperatures, as established by the metering or throttling valve 3! and the screw 43 to maintain the predetermined temperature desired.

In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the valve D is supported by means of its pedestal 26 on the floor 3 of the brooder house beneath the hood 6 and closely adjacent the lower peripheral rim of the factory. It will further be noted that the fuelpipe line I9 drops slightly downwardly from the burner to the valve D so that the controlled porline between said passage and the burner, and that, as shown in Fig. 6, the passage 29 is the lowest in the installation although the section of the pipe line l9 between the valve D and the reservoir C can be carried down below the floor 3 of the brooder house as illustrated in Fig. 1, if desired, thus leaving an unobstructed passage around the hood 6 for cleaning, etc. It will also be noted that the oil reservoir C is located adjacent the door 2 so that the oil supply can be replenished without disturbing the chickens in the brooder house.

By reason of my improved construction it will be noted that my improved thermo-responsive tion of passage 29 is at the lowest point in the as the temperature changes cause expansion or contraction of the expansible fluid in the thermostat bellows. Attention further is directed to the fact that as a result of my improved construction, it is also made possible not only for the valve to be outside the supplemental reservoir, but to have the latter disposed at any selected remote point, as, for example, outside the brooder hood; Herein, it is also made possible for the valve casing to carry the thermostat and all mechanism operated thereby, as distinguished from, as in certain prior art constructions, the thermostat being carried by the supplemental reservoir. Further, by the location of the improved'thermostatically controlled valve in the supply line with the bellows 34 thereof located just below the rim 1 of the hood and slightly laterally spacedfrom said rim 1, it will be observed that the bellows 34 is located directly in the circulating stream of air set up beneath the hood due to the presence of the heating stove therein. It will be further be noted that this bellows is located in the downwardlyhirected portion of said circulating air stream just prior to the sweeping of the same on the floor 3 of the brooder house. Here it will be observed that air coming in contact with the hot sides of the stove 4 becomes heated and rises, striking the cooler surfaces of the hood. The heated air is then .swept downwardly along the inner surface of the hood, partly by the pressure of hotter air rising adjacent the stove and partly by reason of the fact that it is gradually cooled while in, contact with the hood surface. This natural circulatory movement of the air beneath the hood causes the outer and downwardly directed portion of the air stream, which has become somewhat tempered by this contact with the hood surfaces, to sweep over the brooder floor and maintain -an enlarged zone of increased temperature beneath and surrounding the hood, it being noted that this warm air is directed downwardly at the angle of slope of the hood 9 and consequently provides a zone of increased temperature which extends somewhat beyond the periphery of the hood.

It will be noted that as a result of my invention it is for the flrst time made possible to control a distillate type installation automatically in response to temperature while maintaining the burner, its reservoir, and the fuel level stationary relative to each other. In this connection, it will also be particularly noted that it is made possible to eliminate-the drip feed used in previous attempts to provide automatic temperature responsive fuel control for oil burners, and which, while suitable for use with wick or pot type burners, is wholly unadapted for use with the more sensitive distillate burners wherein intermittent and objectionable flaring and resulting carbonization is produced as the level of oil in the carbon leg is intermittently raised by said drops and each new increment of oil supplied to this carbon leg is instantly vaporized therein. Further, with the gentle flow arising from a constant low pressure head, there is a minimum of interference with the sensitiveness of the extremely sensitive temperature control provided. Also, the two combine to make possible minute variations in the amount of fuel to be vaporized by the distillate burner and prompt vaporization in response to relatively minute changes in temperature while maintaining a continuous feeding of fuel. Thus, under all operating conditions, it is possible to feed to the burneronly such a volume of oil as the burner can vaporize, as distinguished from causing flaring and carbonization due to the presenceof unvaporized oil in the flame, and thereby obtain not only a markedly improved burner operation, but a markedly sensitive and effective control for such a highly sensitive burner. As a result, it is made possible to obtain thermostatic control of a distillate burner, as distinguished from manual control, and thereby for the first time make it possible to obtain the advantages of the high operating temperature and clean operation characteristic of such distillate burners which,-

due to the sensitivity thereof were previously obtainable only in manually controlled installations such as the usual range burners shown in the Williams patent mentioned. It will also be understood that my invention in certain of its broader phases is not limited to use with brooders, but may be used generally in connection with distillate type oil burners in other relations while continuing to obtain new and markedly advantageous results as regards extreme sensitivity of operation for maintaining any selected temperature within chosen limits. Thus, my improved combination, including a thermo-re- I spcnsive valve in the liquid fuel supply line and with the thermo-responsive means thereof responsive only to temperature changes and free from control by the liquid level in the burner base or in the supplemental reservoir, and with the thermo-responsive valve acting upon a fuel supply which is maintained under a substantially constant pressure head, is adapted to use in connection with room heaters of various other types than the brooder house illustrated, and also to use in various other heating installations, irrespective of whether the thermo-responsive means is responsive to changes in atmospheric temperature surrounding the same, or has the temperature of the expansible fluid therein raised or lowered by other means. While adapted to use with medium or large size distillate bumers having plural grooves such as illustrated,

wherein a metering valve is preferably used, it

having single grooves and wherein the metering valve may be replaced by other fuel supply controlling means in the fuel connections having the function of the metering valve in establishing a maximum fuel flow during full operation which is within the vaporizing capacity of the vaporizer or carbon leg. These and other advantages of my improved construction will, however, b clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application filed January 16, 1935, Serial No. 2,075.

While I have in. this application specifically described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

within the maximum vaporizing capacity of said vaporizer when the burner is at maximum operating temperature, and expansible fluid operated temperature responsive valve means operative gradually as temperature changes affect the expansible fluid in said valve means for gradually varying the supply of fuel to said vaporizer during said normal operation while maintaining said supply within the limits of vaporization by said vaporizer at different operating temperatures and maintaining said base and vaporizer at a isuflicient temperature during said normal operation to vaporize the fuel being fed to said vaporizer.

2. In combination, a liquid fuel burner ofthe distillate type having a base and radially communicating annular grooves therein and combustion chambers above said grooves and upwardly delivering air passages in said base between said grooves and delivering between said combustion chambers, and also having a vaporizer heated by said base for supplying vaporized fuel to said grooves during normal operation, means for supplying liquid fuel to said vaporizer during said normal operation while maintaining-a low pressure constant level supply including a manually adiustable valve means for limiting the "flow of fuel supplied to an amount within the maximum vaporizing capacity of said vaporizer when the burner is at maximum operating temperature, and expansible fluid operated temperature responsive valve means operative gradually as taining said base and vaporizer at a suilicient temperature during said normal operation to vaporize the fuel being fed to said vaporizer.

3. In combination, a liquid fuel burner of the distillate type having a base and radially communicating annular grooves therein and combustion chambers above .said grooves and upwardly delivering air passages in said base between said grooves and delivering between said combustion chambers, and also having a vaporizer heated by said base for supplying vaporized fuel to said grooves during normal operation, means for supplying liquid fuel to said vaporizer during said normal operation while maintaining a low pressure constant level supply including a manually adjustable valve means for limiting the flow of fuel supplied to an amount within the maximum vaporizing capacity of said vaporizer when the burner is at maximum operating temperature, and expansible fluid operated temperature responsive valve means operative gradually as temperature changes affect the expansible fluid in said valve means for gradually varying the supply of fuel to said vaporizer during said normal operation while maintaining said supply within the limits of vaporization by said vaporizer at different operating temperatures and maintaining said base and vaporizer at a suilicient temperature during said normal operation to vaporize the fuel being fed to said vaporizer,

said supply means to said vaporizer including a supply line and said expansible fluid operated valve means having a movable valve member controlling said supply line at the lowest point in the latter between the burner and said expansible fluid operated valve means.

4. In combination, a liquid fuel burner of the distillate type having a base and an annular groove therein and a combustion chamber above said groove and upwardly deliveringair passage means in said base surrounded by said groove and delivering along said combustion chamber, and also having a vaporizer heated by said base for supplying vaporized fuel to said groove during normal operation, means forsupplying liquid fuel to said vaporizer during said normal operation while maintaining a low pressure constant level supply supplying a limited amount of fuel.

within the maximum vaporizing capacity of said vaporizer when the burner isat maximum operating temperature, and expansible fluid operated temperature responsive valve means having a. fuel passage controlled thereby and located in said supplying means below the level of the fuel in said vaporizer and also having a controlling member controlling the flow through said passage and operative gradually as temperature changes affect the expansible fluid in said valve means for maintaining a continuous flow of fuel to said vaporizer while gradually and minutely varying the amount of fuel supplied to said vaporizer and maintaining said base and vaporizer at a suiiicient temperature during said normal operation to vaporize the fuel being fed to said vaporizer.

5. In combination, a liquid fuel burner of the distillate type having a'base and radially communicating annular grooves therein and combustion chambers above said grooves and up wardly delivering air passages in said base between said grooves and delivering between said combustion chambers, and also having a vaporizer heated by said base for supplying vaporized fuel to said grooves during normal operation,- -means for supplying liquid fuel to said vaporizer during said normal operation while maintaining a low pressure constant level supply including a manually adjustable valve means for limiting the flow of fuel supplied to an amount within the maximum vaporizing capacity of said vaporizer when the burner is at maximum operating temperature, and expansible fluid operated temper ature responsive valve means having a fuel pas sage controlled thereby and located in said supplying means below the level of the fuel in said vaporizer and also having a controlling member controlling the flow through said passage and operative gradually as temperature changes affect the expansible fluid in said valve means for maintaining a continuous flow of fuel while gradually varying the amount of fuel supplied to said vaporizer during normal operation, said fuel passage and controlling member having cooperating means for varying the fuel supply minutely ad jacent the point of cut-off of said expansible fluid operated valve means and thereafter more rapidly increasing the rate of fuel flow while reducing the necessary stroke of said valve means and while maintaining said supply within the limits of vaporization by said vaporizer at different operating temperatures and maintaining said base and vaporizer at a sufficient temperature during said normal operation to vaporize the fuel being fed to said vaporizer.

LYNN O. SELBY. 

